9 Add-Ons for Excel to Make Spreadsheets Easier

Microsoft Excel is one of the best spreadsheet software available which can do many things like calculations, tables, graphs, macro programming, etc. Out of the box, the Excel is pretty powerful, but if you want to extend the functionality or want to make your life a tad bit easier, installing add-ins is the best way to go. Here are some of the best Microsoft Excel add-ins that you should definitely try.

1. Quandl for ExcelQuandl is one of the best data analyst tools that helps you save a lot of time and effort gathering and formatting all the data you want. The good thing about Quandl Add-in for Excel is that it allows you to search through massive datasets for free and without any restrictions whatsoever. Moreover, you can also download the datasets you need in any format you want.

2. Radial Bar ChartRather than reading through the tons of data, you can make your life easier by visualizing the data using charts and diagrams to quickly understand the big picture. Though Excel can create some good data visualization charts, you can also use free add-ins like Radial Bar Chart for something unique and special.

3. Geographic Heat MapIf you are working with datasets that make use of geographical locations, then visualizing that data in the form of maps is a good way to analyze and present the information. Using the Geographic Heat Map add-in, you can do just that. The add-in takes the selected data in your excel sheet and creates a geographic map out of it.

4. Percentage CalculatorNot every one of us is good at Math, especially when calculating percentages. So, if you find yourself needing to quickly calculate percentages, you can do that using the Percentage Calculator add-in. Other than calculating percentages, you can also calculate percent change and increase and decrease percentage value. The add-in also supports percentage markups.

5. Range CalculationsIf you have worked with Excel sheets long enough, you will often find yourself in a situation where you need to change or recalculate numbers in multiple cells. Though you can do this manually, it is time consuming. In those situations you can use the Range Calculations add-in. This free add-in lets you easily recalculate the numbers in the selected range.

6. Favorite BookmarksIf you regularly work on certain workbooks or Excel sheets in certain directories, then bookmarking them helps you launch those workbooks without fiddling around. To bookmark your favorite Excel sheets and directories, you can use the free add-in called Favorite Bookmarks.

7. RDBMailIf you want to quickly email your Excel sheets or parts of your Excel sheet without leaving your workbook, then you can use the free add-in called RDBMail to do that. The good thing about this add-in is that it allows a significant amount of customization of what you send and how you send.

8. Databurst for ExcelDataburst is a simple add-in that lets you create smart and interactive data visualizations. Databurst has several features and customizations like automatic data categorization, support for filters and Excel formulas, etc.

9. New Workbook AssistantThe default workbooks created in Excel are always the same; you cannot choose the default font for the workbook, number of sheets in the workbook, etc. Using the New Workbook Assistant add-in, you can create the Excel workbooks the way you want with just a few -clicks.